Little Crater Campground — Hotel in Sunriver

Let me start by saying we've been coming to Little Crater as a family for 30 years. Our recent reservation was for 2 spots in a cluster for 9 nights and 2 bordering spots for 4 nights. On our 2nd day there, we bought & displayed an extra vehicle tag. Most of our family was scheduled to arrive for the final 4 nights.

Every day we took our boat to the lake, where we parked at the ramp, proudly displaying our yearly Parks Forest Pass, for which we paid a $30 fee to get. Every time the boat was taken to the lake, the extra vehicle was moved in our spot to allow passage.

Every day, the camp host harrased us (sometimes multiple times) about the extra vehicle, clearly displaying the pass on the dash. "Oh I guess I did ask you about that car this morning."

On our 5th night, the host came to us and said, "I see you have spot 43 reserved tomorrow. It's been abandoned so hurry up and pay for it. I'll make note that we spoke."  So we paid for it and set up tents for our kids. A couple of hours later, the person who "abandoned it" returned. Her tent was up the hill out of sight. Luckily for us, she allowed our kids to remain in the spot.

On our 6th day, our truck at the boat ramp was "ticketed" by the host telling us we needed to park at camp since we weren't displaying a forest pass. We advised her that we had a pass displaying in the truck and why suddenlywas it an issue after 6 days? She advised us that didn't matter because the Forest service wanted the ramp for locals.

On the 7th day, we received a "2nd notice" on the truck when we parked at the ramp. The host told us she "wasn't going to argue" and would "call the Forest service" on us.

On the 7th day, our father arrived for the day. He bought a day pass at the park entrance. The host advised my nephew to have him move his truck and boat trailer from the parking lot since "he was with us and needed to park at camp." My nephew advised her he was a legitimate "Day User" and would park at the ramp, period.

This is the day the restroom near our camps stopped being cleaned. Toilet paper was filled, but urine that was splashed around the room by hikers wasn't cleaned. It fell upon us to get bleach and a bucket of water to make the room bearable.

On the 7th day, in the evening, Forest service "supervisor" Carol came to camp. She advised us that we were "well within our rights to park on the ramp" if we wanted to, but to keep in mind that the "locals weren't able to make reservations and were having trouble parking on the ramp."

Ladies and gentlemen,  the locals are perfectly capable of making reservations.  I seriously doubt they're driving past Paulina Lake ramp, which has double the parking and flush toilets, to park here at Little Crater.

During this conversation with "supervisor" Carol, she pointed at the Forest Service Pass hanging from our mirror and told us " technically I could write you up right now since your pass isn't valid. See right there? It says it is invalid without a signature." It wasn't until the next day that we discovered this isn't true. There is NO PLACE on the pass that says it isn't valid without a signature.

We were so disgusted with the aggressiveness, incompetence, harrassment & unmitigated campaign to ruin our vacation by these hosts that we packed up and left camp a day early.  We couldn't leave this place soon enough for all the stress and anxiety these people have caused.

At this point, we don't even know if we'll...

This is such a beautiful place to camp. Campsites are along the Paulina Lake in Lapine, OR. Although there are no water, electric or sewer hookups it’s a magical place to be. It’s $20 per site per night. We were going to pay cash but there is a pay area which takes credit card only. I’m sure you have to find the host to pay cash. Veterans get 50% off so you pay $10 per night which is a great deal.

Our campsite was quite large. We had a beautiful view on the lake. The weather was perfect when we visited. I paddled my son across the lake in a kayak to visit hot springs right along the lake. I never knew they existed. The trek from the boat ramp to the hot springs was not easy. The wind didn’t seem to be on my side. If I stopped paddling to take a break, the wind would blow us backwards, so it was best to keep paddling. There is also a trail that leads to the hot springs, which would have most likely been easier (for me anyways). The water of Paulina lake was cold. People fish along the trail around the whole lake that is 7 1/2 miles long. There is obsidian, Blue Jay’s, chipmunks and many snakes around the lake. We also hiked to the “Little Crater” which is a crevice in the ground at the peak of the mountain. The trail to the top is a steady incline and then it goes down the mountain on the other side, loops you around to see the views of the Obsidian fields and back down to the campsites. Overall, this was a magical experience with many of the amazing things Mother Nature...

After driving along a well-paved road spiraling up the mountain that houses Little Crater campground, you reach a lineup of about 20-30 good-sized campsites. This is a small campground that provides adequate privacy from your neighbours, and a lakeside experience that can be considered pretty rare. I'm sure you can get a larger experience at the other Crater lake, but if you want to avoid the crowds I recommend giving this place a shot.

Nearby hikes can take you around the lake, up a mountain for great views of the lake, to a private beach/hotsprings, and up a very Mount Doom looking hill full of magnificent obsidian.

Facilities only consist of outhouses; no sinks or showers. But this is not a large campground, so it wasn't too much of an issue for me.

All in all, with the location, hiking options, and size of the campground, I highly recommend this for anybody looking for a little quiet time and a good walk through the woods. Check out the obsidian hill for sure.

Would come...